So Glad You're Safe
by HopelessRomantic1020
Summary: ORAS-centric series of entries depicting Brendan and May's adventures in Hoenn and beyond as they battle vile villains and find love along the way. Suggestions/commentary/constructive criticism is welcome, rated T to be safe. :) (BACK FROM YEARLONG HIATUS)
1. Lavaridge Lovin'

It was another pleasant day in the Hoenn region as a boy with a peculiar white hat walked out of the Lavaridge Gym, having defeated Flannery with ease thanks to the combined efforts of his Marshtomp and Swellow.

_Four down, four to go, _Brendan thought to himself as he began to walk towards the Pokemon Center. Before he could make it there, however, his train of thought was interrupted by a certain young brunette walking out of the herbal shop near the gym. A smile crept onto the boy's face as the brunette walked towards him, an incredulous look plastered onto her own face.

"Brendan! You're alright!" May exclaimed, catching Brendan in a tight hug, so tight in fact that he found it rather hard to breathe.

"May… Kinda crushing me, here.."

"O-Oh! S-Sorry, Brendan.."

With that, the young brunette somewhat reluctantly let go of her friend and began to explain her antics.

"I'm sorry Brendan, it's just… The last time we saw each other was at Meteor Falls with Professor Cosmo and the whole Team Whatsit fiasco… And then I heard about the clash as Mt. Chimney and I was so worried for your safety.."

She paused, looking Brendan in the eye for a second before looking away, her face now fifty shades of red.

"But looking at you now.. I see that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself. You really are something else, Brendan… I-I mean, you and your team."

May looked at her friend again, this time closely studying his facial expression. He had been silent for quite some time, but a smile of understanding soon made its way onto his face. Seeing this made May feel much better, though it did nothing to remove the redness from her face.

"Thank you, May. That really means a lot, especially coming from you." Brendan said, his face now taking on a similar color to May's.

_Is he… blushing?_

"O-Oh! I almost forgot." May uttered, breaking the silence caused by her own disbelief. She handed Brendan the Go-Goggles, which would make desert exploration a possibility for him now.

"Oh, sweet! Thanks a ton, May. You're the sweetest." And with that, the boy leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

At this point, May's knees nearly turned to jelly and so she decided to take her leave before she made herself look like a total idiot in front of this boy she was head over heels for.

"Weeeeeell, it's been fun chatting but I should really be heading on over to your dad's gym in Petalburg City. Be seeing you, Brendan!" May exclaimed, hopping on her bike and leaving in a hurry.

"Yeah, later… May." Brendan watched her ride away on her bike with a smile on his face, satisfied with today's events. Suddenly, Marshtomp came out of its Poke Ball and began to tease its owner.

"Tomp, marsh marsh!"

"I do not!"

"Marsh.." Marshtomp muttered in a skeptical tone of voice, raising an eyebrow (?) at Brendan, whose face had still not lost its redness.

"Alright, maybe a little…" Brendan said, recalling his starter Pokemon back into its ball and making his way to the Pokemon Center, a smile still etched into his face.


	2. Author's Note

Hello readers! I just thought I'd post this to say thanks for reading the first chapter of this little shipping fanfic. I wasn't too sure that anyone would actually enjoy it, but I figured I would take a chance and roll the dice for once. I would also like to say that this fanfiction is no longer a oneshot as I will be adding on to the story with more snippets and scenarios from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, perhaps even going on to cover the events of Episode Delta! I would love to hear some suggestions from you readers so as to better my writing and make it more enjoyable for everyone. I have been rather busy lately and cannot promise exactly when I will write the next chapter, but I can assure you all that I will do my very best to get more chapters up as soon as I possibly can, hopefully much longer than the previous one. Thank you to all who have read and stay tuned for more!

Best wishes,

HopelessRomantic1020


	3. A Rival's Renewal

May sighed as she recalled her fainted Grovyle back into its Poke Ball. She had been bicycling through Route 119 in the pouring rain when she thought she spotted someone familiar just on the other side of the bridge near the Weather Institute. Sure enough, that someone was no other than her neighbor and friend Brendan, appearing positive as ever despite looking as though he had just dealt with a certain very troublesome organization. Naturally, May figured that she should challenge Brendan to a battle to see how strong he had gotten, with predictable results.

Brendan walked over to May with a friendly grin on his face before extending his hand towards her.

"Good game, May. You've definitely improved since our last battle," The boy in the white hat stated as his hand made contact with his rival's.

"Y-Yeah... You too…"

May mentally slapped herself. Ever since the first time they met back in Littleroot Town, she had developed a little stuttering habit whenever she was around Brendan. Even though he had never commented on it, May still felt rather silly whenever it happened. Still, how could she _not _stutter whenever he was near her?

"Oh! I almost forgot..." May reached into her bag and pulled out a disc, giving it to the boy before her.

"Teach this to a flying-type Pokémon and you'll be able to fly anywhere you've been before once you get the Fortree Gym Badge! You should visit Littleroot Town and say hello to your mom sometimes! I'm sure she misses you very much…"

She trailed off, trying to remember the last time she herself had gone back home, only to be brought back to reality by Brendan waving a hand in front of her face.

"A-Ah! Sorry, hee hee…" May apologized sheepishly, scratching the back of her head while a light shade of pink graced her cheeks.

"Well, I suppose I should get going…"

"Same here. It's getting late and I should really be checking into a Pokémon Center right about now…"

"Well… I'll see you later, Brendan!" May replied in her usual chipper voice before speeding off on her bike yet again. To the boy in the peculiar white hat, it seemed that May was always riding her bike as opposed to traveling on foot. Perhaps that was why her legs appeared to have become more toned since their last encounter?

Shaking the thought from his mind, Brendan called out, "Be careful out there, May!" Though the young brunette smiled upon hearing those words, she could not help but feel as though their next encounter would end in her defeat once more. Can she even consider herself Brendan's rival if she always loses to him?

X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X

The sun was setting in Lilycove City as an exhausted Brendan made his way through the streets. Having dealt with the numerous Trainers scattered across Routes 120 and 121, as well as a certain nefarious organization at Mt. Pyre, he was in no mood to do anything other than relax. Originally, Brendan had been slightly less than thrilled to visit the city upon hearing that there was no Gym, but soon he decided that Lilycove had quite a few points of interest. The Lilycove Contest Hall, The Lilycove Department Store, the Pokémon Trainer Fan Club, an anxious May pacing just outside the Lilycove Department Store… Wait, what?

Indeed, May appeared to be rather nervous about something and it was written all over her face. Upon seeing Brendan walking towards her, however, she found herself smiling. Even so, Brendan could see it in her eyes that everything was not fine and dandy, though he did not comment on it when they were finally face to face. Instead, he took a more casual approach.

"Hey, May! Been awhile, huh?"

"Yeah… It certainly has been," May replied in her usual chipper tone of voice, before suddenly slipping into one of uncertainty.

"Um… Brendan? C-Can I ask you something?"

"Of course! Is this about another battle? I'm totally down for that, but I'd need to run back to the Center and heal first… Swampert gets grumpy when he's thrust into a battle half-conscious…"

"No, no. It isn't about that…" She replied, her eyes now resting at her feet and she fidgeted with her hands.

Now Brendan was worried. What could possibly be making May so nervous? She looked more worked up than a Lillipup. And for that matter, what could she be about to ask him if it wasn't about a battle? She usually didn't have much to say unless it was related to their journey… Could it be about something more?

'_Could it be about… us?' _Brendan mused internally, but before he could say anything, May finally spoke up.

"Brendan… Do you think I should give up being a Pokémon Trainer?"

To say he was stunned would be an understatement. Brendan was completely taken aback by the words that had just left his friend's mouth. Part of it was because he had been expecting a different question altogether, but he was mostly shocked because of the sheer insanity of it all. May anxiously waited for his answer, refusing to look him in the eye as she felt too embarrassed now. The blood rushed to her face as all sorts of negative thoughts began to invade her head.

'_Of course he'll say you should! You're so incompetent!' _

'_Failure… Not once have you won a battle against him… Failure…'_

'_Just give up… You are not worthy to be his rival…' _

"No."

May blinked in confusion. Had she heard Brendan correctly?

"What…?"

"No, May. You shouldn't give up training Pokémon. Why would you ever even consider that? Don't you love being a Trainer?" Brendan questioned, genuinely curious as to why May felt the way she did.

"Well, yes! It's just…"

"Just what?"

"I'm just not good enough, okay?"

"What? How can you even say that?"

"I look at you and see how great you are as a Trainer, and then I look at myself and… Arceus, how I can consider myself your rival? I'm just that annoying girl next door…"

The tears fell freely from May's eyes now, and Brendan himself felt saddened to hear that May really did consider herself to be far less than he. Didn't she know how wonderful she was in her own right?

Without a single word, Brendan took May into his arms. As she began to pull away in confusion, he looked her straight in the eye and spoke softly but sternly.

"May, you are _not _a failure. Just because battling isn't your forte doesn't make you any less of a person, and I'm sure your Pokémon all agree. Besides, you're everything that a Pokémon would want in a Trainer! You're sweet, compassionate, and I don't know anyone else in the world who's more knowledgeable about Pokémon! Well, aside from your father."

"Brendan…"

May couldn't believe it. Could he really mean what he was saying about her?

Brendan bit his lip and continued.

"May… Please don't give up being a Trainer. Your Pokémon need you, _I _need you…" He blushed as he said that last part, knowing that it was a bit mushy. Fortunately, the girl in his arms didn't seem to think so, as she hugged him back with strength that would put a Machoke to shame.

"Thank you… Brendan," May sniffled, burying her face in his shoulder.

"May-"

"Don't worry, Brendan," She said as she pushed her finger to his lips and flashed her trademark smile.

"I'm not going anywhere."

**X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X**

**Hello my readers! :D Let me just start off by saying thanks again for reading and everyone is welcome to give me your input and make suggestions for potential future chapters. I must say that I originally intended for this to be two separate chapters, but I found that the first segment seemed a little short to be its own chapter and I wanted to avoid making such a small update. Thus, I decided to combine these both into one chapter, for better or for worse. ^^; I've also been struggling with a tiny case of writer's block lately, so I apologize if this chapter disappoints. :/ I also apologize if either protagonist seems out of character here, and if so I shall do my best to avoid this in the future. Thank you all and have a pleasant weekend! **

**Best wishes,**

**HopelessRomantic1020**


	4. Relentless Rainfall

**Hello readers! Just thought I'd post this little note to say that I'll be out of town for a few weeks and won't have access to a computer during that time. Since I didn't want to just leave you hanging in the wind, I thought I'd write and post this next chapter before I leave on vacation. I would also like to thank everyone who's read so far and any suggestions are welcome! :) **

**Now, without further ado… Let's get on with the story! **

**X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X**

To say that Sootopolis was experiencing a little rain would be an understatement. Indeed, the rainfall was so heavy that most people locked themselves in their houses and prayed to Arceus that it would stop before it flooded the entire city. The only people who dared to expose themselves to such wicked weather were the current Pokémon Champion Steven, local Gym Leader Wallace, the highest-ranking members of both Team Aqua and Team Magma, and our young hero Brendan. Currently, the group was discussing the current crisis while standing outside the Cave of Origin.

"I don't understand… People and Pokémon need water to live, so why is this rain filling us with so much dread?" Steven pondered aloud to himself.

"Well, maybe if _some _people didn't mess around with the natural order of things, this wouldn't be happening!" Magma Admin Tabitha snapped, directing his comment at Archie, Matt, and Shelly of Team Aqua. Naturally, Matt was the first to speak up, followed by Shelly.

"You wanna go, tubby? Bring it!"

"Settle down, Matt. Fighting can't and won't solve anything at this point. There's only one thing that can…"

Before anyone could respond, Shelly handed Brendan a small device with a button on it. Once he pressed it, the device shook for a bit before slipping out of Brendan's hand and onto the ground where it transformed into what appeared to be a protective suit.

"Created by the combined forces of Devon Corporation and Team Aqua, this suit will allow you to travel to the deepest part of the Cave of Origin and put an end to this."

"But… Why me?" Brendan questioned, looking to everyone for an answer.

"Because you seem to be the least incompetent person here…" Team Magma's Courtney replied in her usual monotone voice, getting some offended looks from everyone else in the process. Even Steven had to concur, however, that she was right.

"The energy coming from the shrine appears to be far more powerful than anything we could have anticipated… Are you sure the boy can make it down there in one piece?" Archie asked his teammates, receiving an uncertain shrug from Matt while Shelly just looked down and fiddled with her hands as if to say she wasn't sure.

"Do not worry, child," Maxie cut in, "We at Team Magma have been developing a similar suit in case of an emergency and according to the tests we've ran, there's only about a thirty percent chance that you'll perish when facing the Legendary Pokémon."

"Well that's reassuring," Brendan muttered, pressing a button on the suit that made it shrink down and revert to its original shape before placing it in his bag.

Suddenly, Wallace spoke up.

"The Red Orb."

"What?"

"The Red Orb in your bag… Its ancient powers will surely protect both you and your Pokémon. It is also capable of quelling the power of the Blue Orb," Wallace finished, glancing at Archie briefly before turning to the Cave of Origin.

"Indeed… The Red Orb will help, but it alone cannot take Brendan to the core. That suit you were given… Use it."

Brendan nodded before turning to Steven, the silver-haired man only having a few words to say.

"Whatever happens, you and your Pokémon will be fine. Believe in yourself as the rest of us do."

"Brendan… Please. Save us. Save the world… and Kyorge," Archie pleaded, his voice nearly breaking as Shelly placed an arm on his shoulder and Matt looked on in uncharacteristic silence.

"Alright," Brendan said while adjusting his hat, "I'll do it."

"Excellent. In the meantime, Courtney! Tabitha! We must mobilize our members and do what we can to help those suffering from this disaster." Maxie stated, his admins nodding in response.

Suddenly, Brendan heard a familiar voice shout his name. Turning around, he could see that it was his neighbor and rival May, looking rather distressed.

"I came as soon as I heard about this and saw you on BuzzNav, Brendan. I knew I couldn't just sit by and watch as you got caught up in all the chaos, so I came here right away!" She exclaimed, catching the white-hatted hero in a strong embrace that could put an Arbok to shame.

'_Seriously, how is she this strong?'_ Brendan thought to himself, utterly confused as to how someone of May's stature could possess so much strength.

Breaking away from the hug, May gasped when she saw Team Aqua and Team Magma standing a few feet away, looking rather confused.

"W-what are they doing here?"

"… And this is?" Maxie inquired, fixing his glasses.

"Isn't it obvious? That's clearly his girlfriend," Shelly replied, smirking once she noticed the expressions on the young trainers' faces.

"I… She's… We're not… What?"

"He… A-And I? What?"

"Oh brother," Steven muttered, burying his face in his hand. At this rate, nothing would get done.

"Anyways…" May started, clearing her throat, "I'm not even going to bother asking what they're doing here. Instead, I'm going to do what I can to help."

"A-And I'm going to keep hoping and believing that you'll be okay out there, Brendan…"

"May…"

"Because…"

May paused, considering what would happen if she used the wrong words here. If she told him how she felt about him, she could potentially lose him as a friend if he didn't feel the same way. With everyone watching them, she also didn't want to put him on the spot. However, if she used the word "friend", Brendan could get the idea that she's not into him. Plus, she didn't know if she would be able to rack up the courage to tell him later on.

'_Don't put him in such a tight spot. He's already got a lot on his shoulders at the moment.' _

May decided to go with a less risky approach.

"Because I really care about you."

Shelly and Wallace made an 'aww' sound as Steven and the others save Maxie looked at Brendan with knowing grins on their faces. Brendan blushed and scratched the back of his head before replying with a bashful smile.

"Thanks, May. That really means a lot to me and… I care about you too."

This received a smile from May, and she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Good luck, Brendan," before kissing him on the cheek, much to his surprise.

"Aww yeah! Little dude does have a girlfriend!"

"Matt, quiet! You're ruining the moment," Shelly snapped.

The neighbors both let out an awkward laugh and then turned to face the Cave of Origin, its doors now opening for the first time in Sootopolis history.

His face gaining a serious expression, Brendan began walking towards the cave with his trusty Swampert's Pokémon Ball in hand. Once he reached the entrance, he took a long look back at those who now depended on him. He gazed at May the longest, smiling once her eyes met his. Turning back to the cave, Brendan took a deep breath.

'_Let's do this.' _

**X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X**

… **So that's that! ^^; Originally, I had May say something incredibly different and I debated whether or not to do it, but I ultimately felt that it would be a bit soon. They're still quite young, after all. Also, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't quite as good as the others. This week has been rather hectic for me, what with finals running amok and I'm not even done packing yet… Aha. I know that only Shelly is present with the team leaders in Sootopolis City in Alpha Sapphire, but I wanted to do a little bit of experimenting with my writing style by having the story deviate a little bit from the game. Also, I chose the flood scenario over the drought because it just seemed more world-threatening to me for some reason. While I'm here, I'd also like to say that due to vacation I won't be back until around the 5****th**** of January or so meaning that this is the last chapter I'll be posting until then. I hope you all liked this chapter and have a wonderful holiday! **


	5. Author's Note 2

**A/N: Hello ! I'd just like to start off by saying that I am SO sorry for not updating this story in months. A lot's been going on and between bouts of school, writer's block, and a fritzy computer, my focus has shifted from this story quite a bit. I'm not planning on cancelling this fanfic, but it may take some time for me to think up some new ideas for Brendan and May's story. In the meantime, I'm open to suggestions and would love to hear some from you all. :) **

**Best Wishes~**

**HopelessRomantic1020**


	6. A New Threat

**Hello ! It is I, HopelessRomantic1020, returned from the dead! And by that, I mean returned from the horrifying world of writer's block to this story! :D Now, for starters, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for making everyone who liked this story wait half a year for a new chapter, but I just couldn't seem to get it to work. I honestly had no idea where to take the story next and nearly considered a permanent hiatus, but I managed to work around it. With that said, this next chapter is a bit darker and more serious than the last few due to my (poor) attempts to give the story a little bit more "story", so to speak. Regardless, there will still be more fluffy bits to come! Having wasted enough of your valuable time, let's get on with the story!**

**x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x**

It was over. Our young hero with the oddly fashionable knit cap had bravely stormed into the Cave of Origin, rode the mighty Kyogre into the depths of the cave, and battled its primal form in the hopes of returning Hoenn to its natural state and saving the world from a watery demise. Once he had emerged from the cave, he was met with the deafening applause of Sootopolis's citizens; among them was his dear friend, May, who clapped louder than anyone else. She had been worried sick about Brendan despite his prowess when it came to Pokémon battles and immediately Ursaring-hugged him the moment he was within range of her arms. All in all, the Hoenn region was saved and Brendan was hailed as a hero across the entire continent.

… But where is our hero now?

**x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x**

"Brendan! Come downstairs, your friend Wally is here!" cried a female voice from downstairs. All she received in response was a loud snore, prompting our hero's mother to walk up the stairs to his room and pull his sleeping form downstairs by the ear.

"Hnn… Huh? What's going on?" a disheveled Brendan asked groggily whilst rubbing his eyes.

"You have a visitor," his mother smiled sweetly, gesturing to a little green-haired boy standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Brendan," Wally greeted, his eyes darting about nervously, almost as if he had something important on his mind but had difficulty saying it.

"Hey there, Wally. Something wrong?" Brendan inquired.

"Um… M-May I speak to you outside, please?"

"Oh, uh… Sure thing."

With that, Brendan led his friend and before he could turn around and ask Wally what had got him so spooked, the green-haired boy had grabbed his wrist and hastily dragged him into the shadows of his house.

"Wally, what are you doi-"

"Keep it down!" Wally hushed him cautiously. "She could be listening…"

"Who?" Brendan asked in a now whispering voice. He was now thoroughly confused.

"The Key Stone Caper."

"… What?"

"Lately there have been reports of a shadowy figure appearing throughout Hoenn and pilfering Key Stones from trainers like us! I don't really have an idea what the thief looks like, but keep your eyes peeled!" Wally whispered.

"The Key Stone Caper…" Brendan repeated. "Well, that _does_ sound like a problem."

"Trust me, they are! And the worst part about them is that they're rumored to be bringing about the end of the wo-"

Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the air, making both of them jump.

"T-That sounded like it came from in there," Wally pointed with a shaking finger at the house next door.

Brendan froze. "But that house belongs to..."

Before he could finish, Brendan sprung to his feet and began sprinting toward his neighbor's house, Wally not too far behind.

"Brendan, wait! It could be dangerous in there!"

"I don't care!" Brendan called over his shoulder. "I have to make sure she's alright!"

In his haste, the knit-capped boy nearly kicked the door down like a member of the Hoenn Rangers might do, but realized that the door was unlocked anyway. Wally soon caught up to him and the boys nodded at each other before heading into the house. The interior of the house was a mess; it looked as if a Pokémon used Outrage in here. The dining room table lay broken in half and the television was destroyed; pots, pans, and plates were left scattered about the house. On the floor was May's mother, fallen to her knees and reduced to tears. May herself stood nearby, hugging her mother tightly and attempting to fight back her own tears while she comforted her.

"May… What happened?" Brendan asked quietly, too stunned by the sight before him to speak any louder. Wally stood only a few steps away and was surveying the damage with widened eyes, his mouth unable to form any words. May wordlessly handed Brendan a folded piece of paper, her eyes refusing to meet it. The boy unfolded the piece of paper and began to read aloud:

"_To whom it may concern, _

_We have Professor Birch. We feel that having such a renowned scientist and professor around can greatly benefit our future plans, and as such we will be borrowing him indefinitely. We would also suggest that you willingly relinquish all of your Pokémon and Key Stones to us, as those too would benefit our research. We greatly appreciate your cooperation. _

_Signed, Joseph Stone of the Devon Corporation"_

For a long time, nobody spoke a word. The air was filled with Wally's hitched breathing and May's sniffling, trying desperately to hold back tears. Her mother, meanwhile, had stopped crying altogether and merely sat on the floor and stared at the wall, as if in a trance of some kind. Finally, Brendan had had enough.

"I'm going to find him."

"B-But Brendan!" May protested. "These people mean business! I mean, just look at how they left this place! And besides… if they know that I live here, then they may know that you live in Littleroot too…"

Wally watched as Brendan closed his eyes and contemplated his options. It was true that getting involved could land his family in danger as well, but he couldn't just let Professor Birch – May's _father_ – stay kidnapped like this. Brendan put a hand to his forehead.

"I just don't understand… Mr. Stone is such a nice man from what I've heard," Wally spoke up. "He'd never do such a thing… And there's no way that Steven would let him! Even if they _are_ related…"

"Something's definitely wrong here, guys," Brendan said. "Now, you both know me well. You know I'm not one to back down from a challenge, no matter how dangerous. I won't ask you to risk your safety as well, but I'm going to find Professor Birch and I'm going to bring him home."

"Brendan…" May started, touched at his determination to save her father. Touching his arm, she continued. "I'm going with you. I want Professor Birch – I mean, dad – to come home safely, but I also don't want you sticking your neck out alone!"

Brendan gave May a warm smile and embraced her, the brunette more than happy to return the gesture. Wally blushed and coughed awkwardly, signaling to his friends that he was still around. "Um… I-I'll come too! I think my Pokémon are tough enough to help you guys!"

The pair smiled and brought him into the hug, but then they heard a voice behind them and turned their attention to May's mother, who was now standing tall once again. "Seeing your friendship and bravery in dark times is just what any mother needs to get back on her feet. We _won't _give up until he's back home. We'll never give up hope!"

An affirmative "Right!" came from the kids, who were now sitting in a circle on the floor to discuss strategy.

"So, what do we do first, Brendan?" May asked, a determined look on her face.

Brendan thought hard about what would be the best course of action to take at a time like this. They _could _storm the Devon Corporation building in Rustboro City, but what were the odds that their employees would "play fair"? They had to be smart about this.

"Even with the three of us, we could easily find ourselves outnumbered and outmatched if we were to just attack the company directly." Brendan explained, May and Wally listening intently. "Now, the letter was written and signed by Mr. Stone, right? Well, maybe we just need to get someone who's particularly close to him on our side."

"You mean…?" Wally asked.

"That's right," Brendan affirmed. "We have to find Steven."

**x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x**

… **And there you have it! Now, like I said, this chapter **_**does **_**seem like a far cry from the previous ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll be drifting away from the romance genre altogether. Brendan and May will get plenty of time to make with the lovey-dovey goodness soon enough. Besides, what better way to strengthen a relationship then by putting them through tough times? Anyway, that's all for now! Let me know in a review/PM what you think, what you want to see and more! **

**Best wishes, **

**HopelessRomantic1020**


	7. A Stone Rises

Meteor Falls. A cave distinguishable by its numerous craters and powerful, yet tranquil waterfalls. To some, this was merely a place to catch rare Pokémon. To a certain silver-haired Champion, however, this place was almost like a second home. Indeed, Steven would more often than not find himself coming here after a particularly rough day to relax. The cool, moist caverns of Meteor Falls did wonders for his nerves, and there was always a stone or two that was bound to catch his eye. Steven didn't feel much like digging for rare stones today, however. Finding a large rock in the middle of the room, the Champion decided to sit upon it and let his thoughts roam free.

'_Things sure have calmed down in Hoenn since the incident in Sootopolis… Yes, if not for Brendan and his Pokémon, the world as we know it might have been doomed…' _

Steven shook the ominous thought from his head and smiled as he thought about the young trainer in the white hat. The boy certainly possessed conviction and promise, undoubtedly enough to become the Champion one day. While pondering, Steven recalled how they had first met; Brendan had been playing delivery boy for the Devon Corporation – more so for Mr. Stone, Steven's father, at the time – and rushed to Granite Cave to deliver a very important letter.

"That reminds me," Stevenmuttered aloud. "How is Dad doing lately?"

Indeed, Steven had not phoned his father in quite some time and was now starting to fear for his safety. Sure, Team Magma and Team Aqua had both vanished into thin air since the event in Sootopolis, but Mr. Stone was getting up there in years and Steven wanted to make sure he was okay. Stepping out of the cave and into the warm sunlight, Steven pulled out his PokéNav and dialed his father's number. The device rang a few times before abruptly ending the call. Blinking in confusion, Steven tried again only to receive the same response. Finally, the man sighed in frustration and dialed his father's workplace instead.

"If he can't pick up his own PokéNav, maybe someone over there can," Steven muttered. The PokeNav rang several more times and Steven nearly flung it in frustration before someone finally picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Yes, this is Steven Stone. I'd like to speak to Mr. Stone, please?"

Some rustling could be heard on the other side before the voice continued. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stone cannot speak to anyone at the moment. And by that, I mean that he literally can't speak to anyone right now because we've tied him up and-"

Before the voice could finish, some fighting was heard on the other side and a new voice could be heard. "Idiot! You weren't supposed to tell him that! Who would even do something like that?"

"Now you listen here," Steven nearly growled into the PokéNav, getting the attention of the voices. "I don't know who you are and I don't know what you want, but what I DO know is that, as the Champion of the Hoenn region, I will NOT stand for this villainy. Release my father and the other Devon employees at once."

"Fat chance, Mr. Champion!" a third, more sinister voice taunted through the PokéNav. "We don't answer to the likes of you."

Steven paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing in an oddly calm tone of voice.

"You will."

With that, the silver-haired man ended the call on his PokéNav and began walking along the sandy shores north of Rustboro City, a Poké Ball clutched in his hand tightly…

**x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x **

May sighed as she sat on the shores of Mossdeep City, letting the waves wash over her bare feet. Ordinarily, she'd be thrilled to visit beaches like this on such a beautiful day, but there were more pressing matters on her mind. Her own father, the jolly Professor Birch, had been kidnapped straight out of their own home. Although Brendan had reassured her that they'd find him and bring him back safely, May was still deeply concerned.

'_Don't worry, Brendan's never let us down before! I'm sure he'll find a way,' _her thoughts reassured her. At that, May's thoughts drifted to the boy in the knit cap. They'd been good friends for quite some time now, but the brunette couldn't help but feel that there was something more to it. Whenever he looked at her and gave her that comforting smile of his, May's heart nearly skipped a beat. Just picturing it in her head was enough to make the girl feel as if she had pack of Beautifly in her stomach. May blushed and shook her head, smiling softly. "Maybe we could…"

"May!" a voice called out from behind her. Snapping out of her thoughts, the young trainer quickly turned her head in the direction she heard the voice call out and saw Wally and Brendan running towards her. As they reached her, the green-haired boy was the first to speak up between pants.

"He's… not there…"

"What?" May asked, eyes widening.

"Steven!" Brendan finished his friend's statement. "We checked everywhere… No one around here has seen him in a few days, nor was he even in his own house…"

"Where could he be then?" May inquired softly, patting Brendan's back gingerly to set him at ease. The boy blushed slightly at the contact; luckily, his female companion seemed to not notice.

"Hard to say," Wally muttered. "It's entirely possible that he's roaming around in a cave somewhere… I mean, his house was full of rocks and everything…"

"But there are so many caves in Hoenn!" May exclaimed, surprising both of her friends. "How would we know where to start looking?"

"Maybe we shouldn't," Brendan spoke at last.

"Wh… What?" May was now thoroughly confused. "Brendan… We can't just give up…"

"I'm not saying we should," the boy replied. "But it would take far too long to explore all of Hoenn's caves. Maybe we should just confront Devon Corp directly. I mean, between the three of us and our Pokémon, we should be able to handle anything they throw at us right?"

"But…"

"May, I know you. I know that you have more faith in yourself as a Pokémon researcher than a Pokémon trainer, but I've seen you in action and you and your team can definitely hold your own against other trainers," Brendan stated with a proud grin as he placed his hand on the brunette's shoulder before turning to his green-haired friend and doing the same thing. "And Wally, you've definitely grown both as a person and as a trainer since I first met you in Petalburg City. We've all come a long way in our journeys, and I know that we can do anything we put our minds to."

May was moved to tears by his speech, and Wally gazed at him with a rare smile that few had ever seen. Brendan reached into his bag and pulled out a Poké Ball before releasing his loyal Swellow from it. Climbing onto its back, Brendan looked back to see his friends doing the same thing with their flying Pokémon, a Pelipper for May and an Altaria for Wally.

"Okay!" May exclaimed with her trademark smile returned to her face. "Next stop, Rustboro! Last one there's a rotten Exeggcute!" With that, the brunette suddenly took off into the sky, leaving both boys far behind her.

"Waaah! Hey, wait for me!" Wally shouted as he wrapped his arms around his Altaria's body and refused to let go. The Dragon-Flying type Pokémon let out a cry of happiness as it followed its trainer's friends throughout the bright sky, racing towards a new venture.

Brendan grinned and said nothing as his Pokémon also took flight, his Swellow chirping in anticipation as it sensed that it had been challenged to a race.

_Next stop, Devon Corporation HQ. _

**x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x**

… **And that's that! I'd like to thank all the readers who have made it this far and put up with my incredibly slow updates. I'm so sorry guys, a lot's been happening and it's been a bit hard for me to keep up with it all. I promise updates for this story will be quicker from now on! I also apologize if anyone seems a bit OOC here, it's been awhile since I've written anything of quality involving… well, anything. ^^; Also, sorry if the ending of this chapter a bit cheesy, but I had to throw a bit of fluff in somewhere! Feel free to give me your opinions and input through a review or PM! See you all next time on So Glad You're Safe! **


	8. Steven Strikes Back!

Brendan and company could not believe the sight before them. The trio had only recently arrived in Rustboro City and found that the place was rather quiet. Too quiet, some might say. In an instant, the young group of trainers suspected something was wrong. Their suspicions were only confirmed when they finally reached the Devon Corporation building only to find that somebody had forced their way inside. Indeed, the doors lay a few feet away from the entrance, detached from their hinges and looking utterly mangled and charred. Stepping inside cautiously, the team inspected the lobby and found many grunts from both Team Aqua and Team Magma strewn about the room. Not one of them moved. Wally nearly fainted before May checked one grunt's pulse to make sure he was still alive. Whoever had passed through here certainly had a bone to pick with the infiltrators. Wait a minute…

"Why would all these grunts smash open the door only to faint in here?" Wally inquired. "Did someone knock all of them out?"

"Or maybe they were here the entire time and somebody else passed through," Brendan reasoned.

"… Well, not gonna save Dad standing around here," May stated plainly with an oddly cheery smile, even for her. "Let's get going!"

Without warning, the brunette sprinted ahead into the building, her friends close behind.

"Huff… Is she… always like this?" Wally nearly choked. Though his asthma had mostly gone away since moving to Verdanturf Town, he occasionally had fits of it, this being one of them.

"Always, buddy," the boy in the white hat confirmed with a smile as he watched May sprint past numerous unconscious grunts. "Always."

**x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x_ x_x_x_x_x_x _x_x_x_x_x_x x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x**

Shelly sighed as she recalled her last Pokémon and put up her hands in defeat. When the lower grunts had told her that the Champion was on their way, they really weren't kidding. Said Champion still hadn't recalled his signature Pokémon, Metagross, and both he and the Steel-Psychic type were now glaring daggers at the Team Aqua admin.

"Easy now, Silver. You beat me fair and square," she muttered, attempting to reason with the man before her. "What more do you wa-"

"Release them."

This caught Shelly off-guard. "What?"

"Release Mr. Stone and all of the other Devon employees, as well as anyone else you cretins might have taken hostage," Steven growled, not taking his fierce eyes off of her. "Right. Now."

"Yes, well…"

Shelly paused. Steven's Metagross looked _very _unhappy, and if the battle it had recently been in was any indication, there was still carnage to spare. She needed to be careful about how she would word the next thing to come out of her mouth.

"Normally, I'd be more than happy to oblige, but it's just…"

"It's just what?"

"Team Aqua has already taken the hostages to our secret base for further interrogation and research purposes. Even if you were to get there in a flash, I'm afraid they'd already be all used up."

Steven fell completely silent, his head lowered and his facial expression unreadable.

"Looking back, that didn't sound nearly as horrible in my head," Shelly muttered, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. "Well, if that's it, I guess I'll just be going no-"

"Metagross, use Metal Claw."

_Wait, what?_

The large crab-like supercomputer turned to look at its owner as if to question him. Its red eyes glowed as it tried to reach Steven's mind and telepathically communicate with him, but was only shut out in response. Shelly, meanwhile, was slowly backing away, trying to appear invisible.

"Do it. Now."

Shelly gulped. She wasn't one to cower, but this was definitely not a bad time. "No… Wait… Please!"

The Metagross advanced on the Team Aqua admin, who was now running and hiding behind several desks and various pieces of furniture. Unfortunately for her, the Pokémon merely hurled some of them away with its psychic abilities or simply crushed them with its heavy limbs. Finally, Shelly was backed into a corner of the room, the Pokémon showing no signs of slowing its approach.

"Well, I suppose I had a good run. If only Archie and I could have met with Jirachi one last time," the Aqua Admin muttered, shutting her eyes tightly. Metagross raised its forearm high above its body and turned slightly to look at Steven, as if to ask him, "Really?" The silver-haired man's stone-cold expression did not change.

"Do it."

"Steven, wait!"

Suddenly, the Champion was surprised to see that some guys had rushed into the room! Steven was even more surprised to see that those guys were none other than Brendan and May, accompanied by a small boy he didn't recognize.

"Steven," Brendan stated in a tone barely above a whisper. "What are you doing?"

This hit Steven hard. Just what _was _he doing? This wasn't like him at all.

"Steven, I know it's hard to have your family taken away from you," May stated, tearing up a little bit. "Believe me, I know! But this… This just isn't the right way."

Steven looked back to see Shelly still slightly cowering in fear. Metagross had backed off for her and was gazing at Steven with a strange expression on its face, a mixture of sympathy and disappointment.

"I… You're right… All of you. I'm sorry, my friends," Steven apologized profusely, ashamed of what he almost did. The Champion nearly jumped when he felt a reassuring hand reach his shoulder, belonging to Brendan.

"It's okay, Steven," Brendan stated with a smile. "We can still save Professor Birch and your father!"

"Right," May chirped in her usual perky tone of voice, "And we'll do it together!"

Wally was about to say something when he spotted in the corner of his eye a soundly defeated Aqua Admin attempting to sneak away. "Hey, wait!"

His friends turned towards the door and saw Shelly nearly make her way outside the door before being levitated by Metagross's Psychic attack, the Pokémon crying in triumph.

"H-Hey! Put me down right now!"

"Not yet," Steven said with a stern expression. "Now, this Aqua base of yours. Where is it?"

"I'll never tell," Shelly stated with a smirk.

"It's in Lilycove, isn't it?" Steven asked dryly.

"Wha-?! Alright, which one of you twerps peeped?"

"Don't look at me," May commented while putting up her hands defensively.

"What base?" Wally questioned innocently. It wasn't as if he knew where the base was located; he honestly had no idea they were even a thing.

"Well, it doesn't matter now," Steven piped up. "Let's go save our fathers and the Devon employees!"

With that, Metagross unceremoniously dropped the Aqua Admin and was recalled into its ball as the four trainers made their way out of the Devon Corporation building and began walking north of Rustboro, getting ready to fly to Lilycove on the backs of their trusty Pokémon.

"Do you guys think it was really a good idea to just leave her there?" Wally asked his companions.

"I don't see why not," Brendan shrugged. "Besides, it's not like she can do anything to us now!"

_~Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Devon Corp building~_

Shelly let out a grunt as she pulled herself along the floor, trying to get her bag that sat on the other side of the room. Who would have guessed that Pokémon attacks could affect the human body even when used non-aggressively? This was definitely going to have to be researched…

Suddenly, a _whoosh _sound filled the air as a mysterious cloaked figure suddenly appeared in the room, a few feet from Shelly. "I take it you'll be needing my services once more?"

"Grr… We've already payed you to snatch up those Key Stones, some of which we still haven't even received yet!" Shelly barked irritably. "What more do you want?"

"You know what I want," the figure responded, reaching Shelly's bag before she could and pushing it over to her with a foot. "The real question here is, what do I _need_ in order to get it?"

Shelly sighed in frustration. "You're not making any sense… But fine. If you're so bent on making yourself useful to us, go hunt down those twerps that were just here and put an end to their meddling vigilante nonsense! I hear one of them may even have a Key Stone, so consider that a 'kill two Tailow with one stone' kind of deal."

"And my pay?"

The Aqua Admin huffed once more as she reached into her bag and pulled out all the Poké Dollars left in it. "Here. Just take it all and go!"

"Yes… This will do nicely," the figure almost purred, counting the bills. "Consider it done. They'll be out of the picture by tomorrow noon."

With that, the figure seemed to disappear into thin air as Shelly all but passed out, thoroughly exhausted by the day's events. At least she could rest knowing those meddling kids and their champion were about to disappear...


	9. The Return of Justice

**Hello ! It's been awhile, huh? ^^; Between college, job interviews, and writer's block, I haven't really been able to sit down and write much. And then when I finally had some free time, I just wasn't able to create the same quality of work that won you guys over to begin with. I'm sorry that I haven't been fair to you all, but that ends here. No more running away. It's time to face my inner demons head on! Now then, in the last chapter of So Glad You're Safe, our young trio of heroes consisting of Brendan, May, and Wally embarked on a journey to find Steven Stone and rescue May's father, Professor Birch, from the clutches of the Devon Corporation. Arriving in Rustboro, the trio was shocked to find Steven there, who had discovered that the notorious Team Aqua had hijacked the corporation and taken all of their hostages to their base in Lilycove. With the younger Stone now among them, how will the trio fare against the likes of Team Aqua? Let's find out, shall we?**

**X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X**

_~Team Aqua's Lilycove Headquarters~_

"Now then," Matt began, cracking his knuckles and glaring menacingly at the tied up hostages. "Which one of you bros here know about this thing called Mega Evolution?"

"Mega what? What was that? Speak up, sonny," Mr. Stone quipped in an exaggerated old man voice.

"NO! Not megawatts! Mega Evolution! I know you eggheads at Devon know a thing or two about stones, so fess up now!"

"What does this have to do with me?" Professor Birch questioned aloud, squirming in his rope. "I don't even study evolution! Now a colleague of mine from Sinnoh, on the other hand…"

"For the love of Jirachi! I'm at my wits' end over here and you louts are still refusing to cooperate," Matt shouted, balling his fists.

"You're at your wits' end? How can there be an ending to something that never began?" Mr. Stone chortled, causing the other Devon employees and Birch to start laughing. Seeing this filled the Aqua Admit with an intense rage, and Matt found himself reaching for his Poke Ball and summoning his Sharpedo. Seeing this, the hostages grew quiet and Birch's eyes widened, never having seen such a fearsome Pokémon before.

"Now you've really made me mad! Fortunately for you, my bro Archie wants you lot in one piece. Doesn't mean I can't rough ya up a bit though," Matt grinned evilly. "Sharpedo, use Sla- "

Suddenly, there was a loud _crash_ sound from outside the room they were in. Numerous Grunts could be heard shouting panicked orders and furniture could be heard being thrown across the room. Matt and the hostages stared at the door, wondering what could be causing such a ruckus. Both Mr. Stone and Professor Birch's eyes widened instinctively as they both sensed a familiar presence.

"Steven!"

"_May!?_"

Without warning, the door was kicked open so hard that it flew off its hinges and crashed loudly against a nearby wall, making everyone flinch. A large, burly blue Pokémon walked into the room slowly, asserting its dominance with its massive forearms.

"_Swamp perswamp!"_

"What the heck is THAT?" Matt asked, his Sharpedo noticeably shaking behind him. "That thing's almost as tough looking as I am!"

"You asked for a Stone?" a silver-haired man spoke, walking out from behind the Mega Swampert with a fierce scowl. "Here I am."

"Steven!" Mr. Stone cried.

"What the-!? I remember you from Southern Island! You and that brat in the hat got in our way!" Matt snarled.

"Who are you calling a brat, Matt?" May questioned angrily, also stepping out from behind the Mega Swampert.

"May!" Birch shouted.

"Daddy!" May perked up.

"_Daddy_?" Matt slapped a hand to his forehead. "Shelly, what did you rope us into this time…?"

"I-I'm here too, everyone," a green-haired boy stuttered, shyly looking out from behind the large water type. "Just thought I'd let you know."

Finally, a boy in a strange white cap appeared, climbing on top of the Mega Swampert's back. "It's over, Matt. Let them go."

At first, the room was quiet. Then Matt began howling with laughter.

"Gahahahaha! Well look who it is! The grand savior of Hoenn himself, and you got a crew of your own to boot! Well, no can do, little buddy. I'm on strict orders from my bro Archie to milk as much information out of these guys as possible! You want 'em, you're gonna have to go through me! Get 'em, Sharpedo!"

With a fearsome war cry, the Brutal Pokémon used Aqua Jet and charged right at our heroes only to be met with a large blue fist in response, Mega Swampert not even having moved an inch from its position. Matt could only gape in shock as his Sharpedo went flying across the room and into a wall, the impact forming a crater and rendering the Pokémon unconscious instantly.

"Woah, bro… So this is Mega Evolution's power…"

"Brendan isn't the only one with a powerful partner," Steven warned. "Leave. Now."

"Grr… Fine! But you haven't seen the last of me, little buddy," Matt snarled. "Next time is gonna be different!"

Having made his piece, Matt swiftly recalled his Pokémon and sprinted out of the room, leaving Brendan and the others to cut the hostages free of their binds.

"Oh, Dad! I'm so glad you're okay," May sobbed into her father's chest, the normally absent-minded man becoming serious.

"Now, now, May. It's alright. Honestly, this whole time I was more worried about you and your mother. I don't really care what happens to me, so long as the lights of my life are safe. Besides, you have your friends and Pokémon at your side. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Dad…"

"So, I see you finally found us after all," Mr. Stone began, addressing his son. "And here I was worried I would have to leave the company in your hands. Dohohoho!"

"Dad, please," Steven groaned. "You just got out of a potentially life-threatening situation. Is now really the time for jokes?"

"Steven, my boy, there comes a time in every lad's life where he realizes that there's nothing wrong with a little levity in any given situation. Speaking of which, how's your blonde little lady friend in Sinnoh doing?"

"D-Dad!" Steven protested.

Meanwhile, Brendan was off to the side, lost in thought. He could have sworn that Team Aqua had promised to do better after the scuffle in Sootopolis, so why would they go through the trouble of kidnapping people and framing the Devon Corporation? And for that matter, where had Team Magma disappeared to…?

"Brendan."

The boy was pulled from his thoughts by the sweet voice of his rival. "Hmm?"

"We're all heading back to Petalburg," May said with a smile, her cheery demeanor back once more. "Are you coming with?"

Brendan felt a slight tug at his heart as he gazed into his rival's steel gray eyes. He wanted to be with her right now more than ever, but he still had work to do. "Actually, I think I'll stick around here for a bit longer. Just to make sure nothing weird's going on, y'know?"

"Oh," May's smile faltered, "o-okay. Well, just c-call me anytime you want on your PokeNav, okay? And also…"

Suddenly, the brunette leaned over and kissed Brendan on the cheek, both kids now red in the face. "Thanks for saving my dad. Really, Brendan. I couldn't have done this without you."

"Y-Yeah, no problem, May…"

With that, everyone made their way out of the Aqua HQ except for our hero in the white hat, who decided to sit on a crate instead and began to think about what he should do next. As Brendan became lost in his thoughts once more, he failed to notice that a shadowy figure in a cloak had been quietly observing him in the vent above him.

'_Yes_,' she thought to herself. '_He'll do quite nicely_.'

**X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X**

**Yeah… This one's left me stumped for quite a while. Not really my best work, but I suppose this is what I get for disappearing from the Internet for a year. I promise that these next few chapters will be better and will come MUCH faster than this one has. As always, any and all feedback is welcome and please feel free to check out some of my other stories if you'd like. This isn't the only story I'm returning to, and who knows? Maybe I might even post something new. Thank you so much to everyone who's read this and stay tuned for more! **


	10. A New Champion Rises!

"Flygon, use Dragon Claw!"

"Counter it with a Waterfall, Swampert!"

The two mighty Pokémon clashed as the audience in the stadium roared with excitement. The Swampert was being commanded by a boy in a strange white hat, their opponent being the Elite Four's final member, the dragon master Drake. Brendan grit his teeth as he saw Drake's Flygon starting to gain the upper hand in terms of strength, pushing Swampert backwards slightly. The two Pokémon jumped away from each other as Drake smirked.

"Time to finish this! Use Hyper Beam, Flygon!"

The audience tensed up as they heard the command, knowing a direct hit would almost certainly end the match. Nobody in the audience, however, was as worried as May. She had been sitting in the front row through all of the battles so far to support her neighbor and friend, and she could tell that he had trained hard for this. To lose before even facing the Champion would be nothing short of a shame. Still, she had the utmost faith in Brendan's skill as a trainer.

"You can do it, Brendan!" May cheered loudly, getting the boy's attention. "I believe in you!"

Those words made Brendan smile and ignited a flame in his heart. He and Swampert looked each other in the eyes and nodded. It was time. Raising his arm in the air and pressing a finger to his Mega Ring, Brendan cried, "Swampert! Mega Evolve to block that attack!"

There were gasps and murmurs of shock in the audience.

"Block a Hyper Beam?"

"Can that even be done?"

"Is he insane?"

May simply smiled to herself.

"No. He's just Brendan."

Within seconds, Swampert's body had shifted and became bulkier, stronger, and perhaps even a bit faster as well. The now towering Water type Pokemon let out a roar as its transformation was completed and made a "bring it on" motion at its opponent with a finger. Drake's Flygon glared and opened its mouth wide, firing off a powerful Hyper Beam towards Swampert. The bulky Water type simply stood with its large hands in front of it and took the hit, the powerful attack now collecting into the Mega Swampert's hands in the form of a large orb. The crowd let out a gasp as they witnessed such an event. Brendan wore a confident smile on his face as May and Drake were left stunned along with the rest of the audience.

"Impossible," Drake muttered.

His Flygon, now more frustrated than ever, began to intensify the attack. Swampert grunted, but it continued to hold the heat in its hands, even beginning to walk towards its opponent. By now, the crowd was almost entirely silent out of shock. Exactly how strong was his Pokémon? As the energy orb began to grow even more, water began to collect under Swampert's feet until it formed a surging torrent that propelled it at Drake's Flygon at incredible speeds. Seeing this, the dragon type tried to cancel its attack, but it was too late. By that point, the Water type had already used the water to throw itself high into the air and had thrown the Hyper Beam ball downward, striking the Flygon and creating a massive explosion. Once the dust had cleared, the audience could see Flygon lying in a crater, unconscious.

"Flygon is unable to battle! In a shocking display of power and skill, Brendan has won the match!"

The crowd roared in excitement once more as Drake recalled his Pokémon, quietly thanking it for its hard work. Swampert returned to its normal form and tackled his trainer affectionately, being rubbed on the head and praised for its efforts.

"Great job, Swampert! I knew you could do it!"

As he began to stand up, Brendan was nearly knocked over once again by a familiar brunette.

"Brendan! You guys were amazing!" May exclaimed, giving Brendan another of her incredibly strong hugs. Used to it by now, Brendan merely smiled and returned the show of affection. The audience made an "awwww" sound as a large screen displayed Brendan and May on camera surrounded by hearts, causing both of them to blush once they saw it.

"What are you waiting for?" a disgruntled man shouted. "Kiss her!"

The crowd began to chant, "KISS!", over and over again, and the two neighbors stared into each other's eyes, their faces redder than ever.

"May…"

"Brendan, I…"

"The next battle will commence shortly! The challenger, Brendan, versus the current Champion of the Hoenn region, Steven! Stay tuned for the battle of the century!"

"Oh," Brendan started, "Right. I'm not quite finished here…"

"I-It's alright," May stuttered, a little disappointed but trying to hide it. "This is your big moment, Brendan. We'll meet up later! And don't worry, I'll be cheering you on in the front row the whole time!"

"May… Thank you," Brendan smiled, brushing a loose strand of May's uniquely-styled hair out of her face. "I mean that. Really… You've always been there for me, and I- "

"AHEM," the announcer cut in. "I would like to remind the challenger that he still hasn't healed his Pokémon yet and the Champion is on his way right now." "Alright already, geez," Brendan grumbled. "Well, I'd best get back to it then…"

"Go get 'em, tiger," May whispered, planting a kiss on Brendan's cheek. The audience applauded at this display, the same man from before shouting his approval through the roof as security hauled him out of the stadium.

"_Pert?_" Swampert asked. "_What's a tiger?_" X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X

_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X

It was finally over. After a lengthy and grueling battle, the mighty Steven had fallen. Standing in his place was Brendan, the new Champion of Hoenn League Champion! The crowd could barely control their excitement and roared their approval, cheering even louder when Brendan and Steven shook hands, officially cementing the younger trainer as Champion. May cheered louder than ever, making her way down the stadium's bleachers and right into her neighbor's arms once again.

"Brendan! I always knew you could do it," the brunette beamed, pulling off Brendan's hat and messing with his hair.

"Ah, c'mon… It's really not that big of a deal," Brendan blushed. "Besides, I couldn't have done it without my team."

Leaning into the hug slightly, he whispered in May's ear, "And especially not without you."

"Oh, Brendan…" May trailed off, her face now as red as her hair bow.

The two teens pulled away from each other to gaze into each other's eyes. The audience's cheers drifted further and further away as Brendan and May became the only two people in the world. Slowly, Brendan began to close his eyes and lean forward.

_"Oh my Arceus, he's actually doing this,"_ May thought to herself.

_"Oh my Arceus, I'm actually doing this!" _Brendan shouted in his head.

This was it. This was their big moment. After months of chasing down villainous teams, training their Pokémon, and exploring the vastness of the Hoenn region, they were finally going to kiss! Now nothing could stand in the way of the two teens confessing their feelings for each other!

... Or so they thought.

Suddenly, a loud _boom_ filled the air, causing the audience to cover their ears and the two young lovebirds to abruptly break apart, looking for the source of the noise. To their surprise, a giant golden ring of some sort had appeared in the air! A purple vortex had formed within the bizarre ring as an unfamiliar screech was heard. But perhaps most shocking was the man that had fallen out of the vortex and was heading straight for the ground. The crowd gasped and screamed in horror, with many covering their eyes or fleeing the stadium. Brendan and May were momentarily stunned before springing into action.

"Gardevoir!" May called, releasing her Pokémon, "Catch him with Psychic!"

"Voire!"

The Psychic-Fairy type obliged immediately, raising its arm into the air to slow the man's descent to a crawl. May's Gardevoir put the man on the ground softly, where May, Brendan, and the few who remained could see that he was not moving. The man had on a brown, worn-out trench coat that had a strange note, a badge of some sort, and a Mega Stone in one of its pockets. As May stared at the mysterious man, Brendan looked at the sky only to see that the hole had vanished entirely. A Nurse Joy rushed onto the scene and began to check the man for a pulse.

"Is… Is he…?" May began.

"He's fine, just unconscious," Joy replied soothingly. "Though I'm really not sure what to do about this… I've never treated a patient who fell out of a hole in the sky before."

"Alright, people," Steven addressed the few spectators who had stayed, "thank you all for coming out today, but we at the Pokémon League have everything under control. Please go home and take care of yourselves."

Murmuring to themselves, the small crowd dispersed and left the stadium. Steven, meanwhile, took the note and Mega Stone out of the unconscious man and began to observe both items. The Mega Stone seemed like any other, but this one appeared to belong to a Pokémon not originally from Hoenn. Steven couldn't quite pinpoint its origin, and he figured that the stone deserved further investigation. Pocketing the Mega Stone, he then looked at the note and saw that it some parts of it were faded, becoming illegible as a result. Regardless, Steven began to read the contents aloud to the best of his ability.

"l00k3r,

Find...girl...keep...U...Bea..."

"What does that even mean?" Brendan asked, clearly perplexed.

"I'm... not sure," Steven muttered. "Find girl... that could be referring to anybody. I can't understand the rest of it."

"What even was that thing in the sky anyway? I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before," May spoke up, clearly still amazed at what she had just witnessed. "Have you, Brendan?"

Hearing this, Brendan sheepishly placed a hand behind his head and gave a nervous laugh.

"Aha... well, now that you mention it, that big portal _did _look kinda familiar... In fact, I think I actually might have seen something like it awhile back."

"Really now?" Steven inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"See, Latias and I were flying around Hoenn," Brendan began, "and we saw something sparkle on one of the smaller islands. We went down there to check it out and it was a... portal, of some sort."

"A portal?" May piped up, eyes widening. "Where did it lead to? Did you go inside of it?"

"No, but I heard strange cries from inside... Pokémon I probably haven't even seen before," Brendan continued.

"Fascinating... you don't suppose they might have something to do with this man?" Steven theorized.

"I really don't know... What's going to happen to him, anyway?"

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on him. In the meantime, I think you two deserve a break from all the action," Steven smiled. "Go home and rest with your loved ones, Champion."

May couldn't help but notice that Steven seemed to be eyeing her when he mentioned "loved ones", and her face began to redden as a result.

"R-Right," Brendan stuttered, flushing as well. "Will do."

Bidding farewell, Brendan began the long walk home, May not too far behind.

X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X

**Hooooly crap, you guys. I am soooo so so sorry I didn't release this chapter sooner! I've rewritten it multiple times but I could never get the ending just right. :/ To be honest, I'm still not one-hundred percent sure about this one, but I figured I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Still, though, I do appreciate each and every one of you taking the time out of your day to read this. :) As always, reviews of all kinds are welcome! Tell me what you liked, didn't like, improvements that could be made, etc. Thank you all once again, and I hope to hear from you soon!**


End file.
